Staycation: FotoWeekDC

One of my favorite annual events starts tonight: the fourth annual FotoWeekDC kicks off with a launch party this evening before running through next week with photo exhibitions in three locations around Washington.

Let me preface this by saying that I haven’t visited FotoWeek yet this year but I have plans to visit next week with friends and have been eagerly perusing the website to get excited.

The main gallery — FotoWeek Central — combines 14 exhibitions into one space at 18th and L Streets NW. I’m most excited for World Press Photo‘s 2011 exhibition, having seen World Press Photo exhibits in several countries before and always loving it. This TIME cover photo by Jodi Bieber was named World Press Photo of the Year and it’s certainly incredible. (Get the full story behind this photo here.)

time.com / Jodi Bieber

Another exhibit worth checking out at FotoWeek Central is Through The Lens of DC Youth, which depicts how young Washington residents see their own city. In a city with as many diverse people and such a strong rich-poor divide, I’ll be curious to see how DC’s teens see the city through the viewfinder.

At night, walk by George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium to see digital video projections on the building’s facade. NightProjections focuses on international photographs this year, with a special spotlight on the plight of people in the Congo and the Horn of Africa.

Night Projections / Matthew Rakola

Just down the street at the Corcoran (which will be free during FotoWeek’s duration!) aspiring artists can have their portfolios reviewed by curators, educators and other art experts, while non-artists (like me!) can explore some of the museum’s on-going photography exhibits, including Hank Willis Thomas’ Strange Fruit, part of this fall’s 30 Americans showcase.

Get a free festival pass before you go; luckily, the exhibition spaces are all close enough together to be tackled in a single afternoon, or spread out over the week. I’m planning to visit the Corcoran and FotoWeek Central during lunch breaks this week, then will bundle up one night to check out NightProjections.

(All of the exhibits are free with the festival pass — you just need to register ahead of time so organizers can count attendees — but some of the parties and professional events cost money.)

The Festival Pass (http://www.showclix.com/event/75373) offers free admission — all of the exhibits are free, they just want attendees to register ahead of time. The Corcoran will be free the entire week but the portfolio review costs money.

Hi, I'm Erin, a DC-based writer and editor trying to eat her way around the world. Share your top travel tips, favorite spots to grab a bite or off-the-beaten-path DC hang-outs by emailing me or following me on Twitter.